


Warble

by Anonymous



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Astrid!Whump, F/M, Implied Rape of non-core characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-08 15:06:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14107995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Astrid has been rescued but she's not the same as when she left.





	Warble

**Author's Note:**

> I am so very sorry

Toothless's blast splintered the door inward and Hiccup was racing in after the shards into the dark room beyond. Stumbling feet sounded within as Hunters lunged to their feet, blinking in the sudden light. A series of blows brought them to their feet as Hiccup and Toothless shredded the room. As he smashed the head of the final hunter against the wall he took a look at the room, seeing clearly for the first time since entering.

It was dark, poorly lit by withering tallow candles, with a low ceiling and a thin straw covering over the packed earth floor. Throughout the room half a dozen chairs and tables held the other occupants of this room. Some now vacated by the hunters, others held young girls; three lain across tables and bound with leather straps, the rest seated frozen on chairs staring blindly at the new arrivals. All were caked in mud, blood, and other fluids. All had the same unseeing eyes, looking at the world but not seeing it.

Hiccup went through the room, cutting the restraints free with inferno. The last girl had dirty blonde hair and he felt his heart beat faster as he approached her. She flinched as he cradled her head, but as she turned her face towards him her green eyes disappointed him. He released her gladly and she stumbled out into the sunlight with the others.

"Its not her bud."

Toothless responded with a low growl and looked pointedly at the wall. A hidden door was sunk into the wall. Good work Toothless. It swung open with a creak as he pushed against it and he heard a whimper as he stepped inside. Darkness fled before inferno's blaze and illuminated the only occupant.

She twitched as he stepped closer, her naked body showing its torment in full with only a sack to cover her head. She was covered in marks from whips, hot pokers, and open hands. A pool of fluid collected in the bucket between her legs, which had given out leaving her to dangle only by her blood-soaked wrists. Her bruised rib-cage--wheezing intermittently--stuck out from her emaciated body like fingers underneath stretched beneath a silk sheet, highlighting how underfed she was. Unhesitatingly Hiccup slashed her free of her bondage and caught her in his arms.

As he lifted the sack his heart leapt once more as he glimpsed golden hair, his hope increasing further still as he saw her jaw, cheeks, and button nose. He knew it was her before he revealed her bright blue eyes. It did nothing to dampen the brutal pain in his chest at the sight of her.  
Blinking in the torchlight, she looked at him, locking eyes and reaching for his face and he knew then that they'd not broken her, that she was still the Astrid he knew, the fierce, beautiful, _fearless_ girl he'd fallen in love with. He held her firmly but softly to his chest.

"Astrid... Astrid... Astrid..." he whispered to her over and over again.

As he was cradling her close he realised that she was only mumbling and whimpering, without saying any words, then he looked closely at her lips and saw the reason.

The Hunters had sewn her mouth shut.

They'd pierced her soft lips over and over again to silence her the only way they could. He felt rage boil within him but controlled it, and instead focused on wrapping Astrid in a heavy cloak from Toothless's saddlebags and gently carrying her outside. Now with better light he took a knife and carefully cut each wire before pulling them out one by one.

"There we go Mi'lady. It wouldn't be right if I was the only one with a smart mouth around here."

Instead of a laugh or punch, she unexpectedly dropped her gaze to the ground and could only let out a strangled moan as tears cut runnels through the dirt on her face.

"Whats wrong?!" he instantly moved to her side but she shoved him back.

"Astrid? Whats wrong?" he asked again worriedly.

She opened her mouth and her crying escalated to a haunting wail. He again stepped towards her and attempted to grasp her hands but she scrambled to stop him.

"Astrid you're scaring me." He was increasingly worried with her. Something about her voice didn't sound right.

"Astrid?" he said gently, "Could you let me see your mouth again?"

Immediately she reached up to cover her lips with both hands. Bingo.

"I can help, but only if you let me. Please let me help you Astrid."

She shook her head in denial but he leaned down and tilted her chin until she was looking down at him, looking dead in the eyes so she could see his concern as he asked to let her help him again. This time she didn't break eye contact and finally--though it took a couple of seconds--lowered her hands and ever so slowly opened her mouth. She allowed him to take her head in his hands as he took a closer look. He instantly recognised the problem.

Her tongue.

It was gone.

Furious rage ripped through him.

They'd done this to her. They'd done this abominable thing, and she must've fought so hard to resist as they did so, never breaking for a minute, never backing down despite what they threatened her with. He looked her in the eye again and knew she knew what he did; that she'd never speak again.

Never speak again.

Hiccup would never hear her sweet nothings or furious roars again. He'd never be able to sing courting songs with her, never duel verbally over food, never hear her call his name again. He found himself suddenly unable to remember her voice and tore himself to shreds for his laxity. He barely realised he'd frozen until Astrid tried to pull away, fear like a burning brand in her eyes. He reached around her--although she attempted to pull away he would allow no compromise--and pulled her into an all encompassing hug.

"Its ok."

She struggled to wiggle free even weakened as she was, beginning to wail again as she scrabbled at his armour, striking at him with spidery limbs. He hushed reassurances to her but she only stopped when he told her "I won't leave you ever again".

She further fell into a quiet weep when he whispered "You're still the same Astrid I fell madly in love with".

He held her for as long as she wanted. She cried, she grabbed at his shoulders, she tried to mumble apologies or thanks to him through broken lips and an eviscerated tongue. All throughout he held her, pressing kiss after kiss to her temples and forehead, and shushing her as she made her pained attempts to speak.

As night fell he took her back to Berk, carrying her to their house, laying her to bed with reverence. He gave her water laced with medicine to ease her pain and slowly fed her a thin stew. As she drifted off to sleep her eyelashes flickered as she rejected the darkness, desperately seeking another second of Hiccup's face.

"Sleep Mi'lady, You're safe now, I won't leave you. You'll still be here and safe in the morning."

He was true to his word. When she woke a day later he was there with another drink and more stew. Once she'd eaten she closed her eyes and appeared to drift back into a light slumber, making up for all the torment she'd endured.

"Thanks for finding her bud. I couldn't have done it without you."

Toothless headbutted him lovingly and warbled his thanks in his weird way.

"Yeah yeah, love you too you big stupid reptile."

Just then he heard a groan from the bed. Astrid was awake again. He heard more groans as he moved back to the bedside so she could see him. The increasingly loud and urgent moans stopped when she spotted him.

She'd sat up and refused to be handed the next drink of medicine, instead grasping both his hands firmly, pulling him to sit on the bed beside her. She gave him a smile that lit up her face, and then the most amazing sound slipped out of her mouth.

It wasn't a groan of pain, or the tinkle of the laughs that she'd recently realised she could still make.

She opened her mouth and _warbled_ at him.

It was the exact copy of the warble that Toothless had given him seconds ago. She opened her mouth to warble again, hoping to get her message across, but was forestalled when Hiccup leaned in and kissed her. As they parted, breathless and panting, Hiccup let go of her hand only to brush the hair from her eyes and locked his to hers.

 

"I love you too Mi'lady."


End file.
